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THE FALSE KNIGHT (Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight)1
(1)
There was a lord
2 in
AmbertownAnd all he
wanted of tide pretty maid,
Was to take her life
away.
(2)
“Go gather up your father’s gold
And some of your mother's fee,
And two of
the choicest of the steeds,
And we'll ride away to the
sea."
(3)
She gathered up her father's gold
And part of her mother's fee,
They mounted
two of the fairest steeds,
And merrily rode
away.
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(4)
She mounted on the milk white steed
And he on the rambling gray,
And they rode till they came to
the fair riverside,
Three hours before it was
day.
(5)
"Light off, light off thy milk white
steed
And deliver it unto me,
For six fair
maids I have drownded here,
And you the seventh shall
be.
(6)
"Strip off, strip off your silken
robes,
Likewise thy golden stays,
Methinks
they are too rich and too gay
To rot in the salt, salt
sea.”
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(7)
"If I must take off my silken robes,
Pray turn your back to me,
For it is not fit such a
ruffian as you
An undressed lady should see."
(8)
He turned his back around about
To
face yon willow tree.
With all the strength this fair maiden
had,
She tumbled him into the sea.
(9)
“Lie there lie there you false young knight!
Lie there instead of me!
For six fair maidens thou hast
drownded here,
But the seventh hath drownded
thee."
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(10)
So he rolled high and he rolled low,
Till he rolled to the sea side.
"Stretch forth your hand, my
pretty Polly,
And I'll make you my
bride."
(11)
"Lie there! lie there! you
false young knight!
Lie there instead of me!
For I don't think your clothing too good,
To rot in
the salt, salt sea.”
(12)
She mounted on
her milk white steed,
And she led her rambling gray,
And she rode forward to her father's door
Two hours
before it was day.
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(13)
The parrot was up in the window
high,
And to his young mistress did say,
"0, where have you been, my young mistress,
That you're out so
long before day!"
(14)
"Don’t prittle,
don’t prattle, my pretty Polly,
Nor
tell no tales on me.
Your cage shall be made of the finest of
gold,
Although it was made from the tree.”
(15)
The old man on his pillow did lie,
He
unto the parrot did say,
"What ails you, what ails you, my
pretty Poll parrot,
You prattle so
long before day!"
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42]
(16)
“There was a cat came to my cage,
And she did frighten me,
And I was a-calling my young
mistress
To drive the cat away."
(16)
“Well done it, well done it, my pretty Poll parrot,
Well done it, well done it," said she
"Your cage it shall be of the glittering gold,
And the doors of ivory.”
Notes
1
Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight: is the common name of a European
ballad. The subject matter is frequently associated with the genre of the
Halewyn legends. Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Isabel_and_the_Elf_Knight
2
Lord: The villain is sometimes referred to
an Elf-Knight, Luppen, Outlandish knight, False Sir John and
Halewijn
3
Lady: The
heroine is sometimes referred to as Lady Isabel, King's daughter, May Colvin and
Princess
